John Gerritsen16 August 2012 Issue No:235
New Zealand’s universities want to shorten their masters degrees in a bid to attract more foreign students.
Currently New Zealand masters degrees require 240 credits – equivalent to two years of full-time study, although students who have completed four years of bachelor-level study can do 120-credit masters degrees.
But Universities New Zealand, the body representing vice-chancellors of the country's eight universities, has suggested allowing shorter masters degrees in certain circumstances.
It has proposed 180-credit masters for students who finish their three-year bachelor degree to a high enough standard.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority is consulting on the proposal and has taken it a step further – suggesting that the 180-credit masters qualification be available for any student with a bachelor degree – not just those who meet a required standard.
The authority says one reason for the change is to attract more international students.
“A key driver for the proposal is to enhance the international competitiveness of New Zealand masters degrees, which are generally longer than in a number of other countries that New Zealand commonly compares itself with, including Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.”
The authority says the change would also help New Zealand institutions keep up with changes in other countries, particularly with regard to masters degrees based on coursework rather than research.
“Research into the international competitiveness and comparability of the New Zealand masters degree has found the proportion of coursework masters degrees offered at New Zealand universities to be comparatively low, at only 31.2% (Rogers 2008).
“This compares with Australia and the United Kingdom where coursework masters degrees make up more than 95% of the total masters degree programmes offered.”
Nearly 12,000 New Zealand students and more than 2,200 foreign students study masters degrees in New Zealand.
Foreign students generally pay between NZ$22,000 and NZ$30,000 (US$17,750 and US$24,200) a year to study at masters level.
The president of the Tertiary Education Union, Sandra Grey, says the proposal puts money before education.
“It's all about the drive to get international students who want to come into New Zealand and pay for shorter masters degrees not to do the longer thesis component in a masters degree. So the starting point itself has us a little bit wary; it’s not about education, it's about making money for the New Zealand education market.”
The New Zealand Union of Students Associations says the shorter options would save both domestic and foreign students money because they would face a lower ‘opportunity cost’ from being out of the workforce.
But the union says the shorter degrees should not displace the current two-year masters degrees, or the current practice of an honours year that essentially turns three-year bachelor degrees into four-year degrees.
It says students are worried that the shorter degrees will not provide adequate preparation for PhD study.
Education New Zealand is the Crown agency responsible for supporting the export education sector. The chair of its board, Charles Finny, says shorter masters degrees would attract thousands more students to New Zealand.
“We would see strong demand for these courses from markets such as China, India, and Indonesia, and it should see a useful boost to student numbers...We would imagine there would be thousands of new masters students studying in New Zealand,” he said.
The qualifications authority expects that a decision on the matter will be made in late September or in October.
Currently New Zealand masters degrees require 240 credits – equivalent to two years of full-time study, although students who have completed four years of bachelor-level study can do 120-credit masters degrees.
But Universities New Zealand, the body representing vice-chancellors of the country's eight universities, has suggested allowing shorter masters degrees in certain circumstances.
It has proposed 180-credit masters for students who finish their three-year bachelor degree to a high enough standard.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority is consulting on the proposal and has taken it a step further – suggesting that the 180-credit masters qualification be available for any student with a bachelor degree – not just those who meet a required standard.
The authority says one reason for the change is to attract more international students.
“A key driver for the proposal is to enhance the international competitiveness of New Zealand masters degrees, which are generally longer than in a number of other countries that New Zealand commonly compares itself with, including Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.”
The authority says the change would also help New Zealand institutions keep up with changes in other countries, particularly with regard to masters degrees based on coursework rather than research.
“Research into the international competitiveness and comparability of the New Zealand masters degree has found the proportion of coursework masters degrees offered at New Zealand universities to be comparatively low, at only 31.2% (Rogers 2008).
“This compares with Australia and the United Kingdom where coursework masters degrees make up more than 95% of the total masters degree programmes offered.”
Nearly 12,000 New Zealand students and more than 2,200 foreign students study masters degrees in New Zealand.
Foreign students generally pay between NZ$22,000 and NZ$30,000 (US$17,750 and US$24,200) a year to study at masters level.
The president of the Tertiary Education Union, Sandra Grey, says the proposal puts money before education.
“It's all about the drive to get international students who want to come into New Zealand and pay for shorter masters degrees not to do the longer thesis component in a masters degree. So the starting point itself has us a little bit wary; it’s not about education, it's about making money for the New Zealand education market.”
The New Zealand Union of Students Associations says the shorter options would save both domestic and foreign students money because they would face a lower ‘opportunity cost’ from being out of the workforce.
But the union says the shorter degrees should not displace the current two-year masters degrees, or the current practice of an honours year that essentially turns three-year bachelor degrees into four-year degrees.
It says students are worried that the shorter degrees will not provide adequate preparation for PhD study.
Education New Zealand is the Crown agency responsible for supporting the export education sector. The chair of its board, Charles Finny, says shorter masters degrees would attract thousands more students to New Zealand.
“We would see strong demand for these courses from markets such as China, India, and Indonesia, and it should see a useful boost to student numbers...We would imagine there would be thousands of new masters students studying in New Zealand,” he said.
The qualifications authority expects that a decision on the matter will be made in late September or in October.
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